For much of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers fans were left with a big question mark—what’s going on with Mookie Betts? The million-dollar smile had dimmed; the $365 million superstar battled illness and incontinence and seemed bogged down with the weight of expectations. It got to the point when he told reporters that he felt his season was over. It seemed like he had declared it as an L year for him.

But crazy enough, that moment of surrender may have freed him. Because, since then, Betts has actually rediscovered his swing and maybe even his swagger. He simplified his approach at the plate and is now hitting .348 over his last 17 games. And suddenly, he has become the player, the spark the LA Dodgers badly need. But this has also brought a burning question to the surface.

Will LA keep Mookie Betts as a shortstop or shift him back to the outfield?

Now, Ken Rosenthal is against the idea of shifting Betts from his current position elsewhere. “They should not move Mookie to right field in my opinion,” Rosenthal said. “Mookie is playing right now, a brilliant shortstop. If you watch him play, he has adapted to that position as well as anyone possibly could. He has shown that he can play it and play it at a high level.” In simple words, Betts is solving a major problem in LA by sticking as a shortstop. Even if it means dealing with the dense trade odds elsewhere.

Now, Rosenthal did point out the Hernandez situation, saying, “Now, the outfield, the situation with Hernández is this—if you play him in right, you’re going to have guys going first to third, and if you play him in left, you’re going to have guys stretching singles into doubles. Kind of the lesser of two evils.” He mentioned that Hernandez had a rough season last time, too, but in the postseason, he was sharper. So maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers can keep him on the right and live with the imperfections so Betts can be where he is.

Now it is surely remarkable that this is happening weeks after Betts said, “This season’s over. My season’s kind of over,” talking about his club. Now, with LA neck and neck with the Padres for the NL West Crown, he has suddenly become an indispensable player.

Boston’s man can push Max Muncy out of the Dodgers uniform! 

Now, while Mookie Betts’ decision seems to be an immediate one, LA might need to make another really important decision. And this is about Max Muncy. The Dodgers have a $10 million club option on Muncy this season, and on paper, it seems like the easiest decision in the world. A lefty slugger with a wRC+ of 133 and 146 over the last two years at that rate? That’s a bargain for some elite production. No way any team would jump on the bandwagon. But only if it was all that simple!

Now, who said that the Los Angeles Dodgers won’t be tempted to go bigger than Muncy? See, the issue is not his bat but rather his body. Over the last two seasons, injuries have been his thing. From a bone bruise to an oblique strain that limited him to just 73 games last season. Injuries are also impacting his availability this season. And if you are being honest, LA’s offense has not looked like a juggernaut the past year. And if the front office is looking to reboot, then third base seems like a smart place to start.

And this is where Alex Bregman comes into the picture. Now Jim Bowden has already mentioned Bregman as a perfect Dodgers pick fit this winter. And he really is not wrong. Sure, he is in Boston and has had one of his best years till now, with career-high numbers, in fact. But the Boston Red Sox will need to fight to keep him. Bregman has shown interest in entering the free agent market already. The Dodgers have money, the roster flexibility, and the contention—making him a perfect fit.

What do you think?